Memories
by uncrushable
Summary: Memories lost, friends gained. Does this mean one must lose those friends to regain memories? AU, OOC, shojoai, yuri. Reviews especially constructive ones are always appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

She wandered around aimlessly, feet echoing hollowly on the pavement of the city. Her mind was a jumble, she was dazed, confused. Things she thought she knew and things she did flew in and out, slipping between her fingers like water.

The people she passed were faceless to her, the mumblings of their thoughts buzzing meekly in her mind. Their thoughts intruded on her on to the point where she didn't know if their thoughts were actually her own and vice versa.

She wore a long black trench coat and beneath them her wings itched, cramped. For too long they had been confined in their hiding. She remembered (or did she? She had no way to be certain the memories were actually hers.) when she first came near the city that she was uncertain as to the human's reactions to her wings. They could be so unpredictable at times.

But now she no longer cared. The point at which their thoughts invaded her mind had left her nothing to follow but her instinct. And her instinct told her to leave, flee this place for fear of her very sanity.

So she climbed the fire escape of the tallest building she could find. She climbed to the top, where the wind even in this city was strong enough to lift her. Off went her jacket, tossed carelessly over the side of the building. She watched it float idly to the pavement numbly. It felt as though the jacket had meant something to her at one point but could no longer remember exactly what it was she felt.

Free at last, her wings spread open with a flurry, stretching gratefully far beyond her head. She could feel wind pressing around her, promising freedom and peace in its caress.

She jumped.

Her wings opened, singing loudly, happily, content to be free and flying where they belonged. The wind howled and rushed past her ears, a familiar and comforting sound.

Then, people began to notice her. Their thoughts became alarmed, frightened and as one more person focused their attention on her the more damage it did. There were too many, far too many for her to escape.

_Safety. I must find… Safety._

She flew away as fast as she could, careening dangerously close to buildings. Within her mind, chaos built, threatening to reign over her, a cruel dictator. Every second she spent flying was spent struggling to retain her sanity, her self-identity.

Slowly, very slowly, their thoughts began to fade and she was able to regain some control over her mind. The damage had been done and it would be a little while before she was at full strength. _It isn't too bad_, some part of her thought. _I just need time to rest_.

She was aware of flying over water for several miles. She wasn't sure of the direction she flew in, or how long she flew exactly. She knew that when she came over land she crashed into it gratefully, even though it caused her a huge amount of physical pain.

Tired, exhausted and suffering from pain of both her mind and her body, she welcomed darkness when it came to claim her.


	2. Chapter 2

Raven was deep in meditation when she felt … something. It felt like pain, a plea for help maybe. One purple opened slowly, closed again and she returned to meditating; perhaps it was nothing. A few short moments later she felt it again. A twinge or something… not right.

This time, she focused on the source of this telepathic shock. Carefully, of course. If she could find the source it could surely find her. She followed the telepathic trail outside the Titan Tower near the edge of the island until she found its source. Outside the Tower, just on the edge of the island partially hidden by bushes lay something that appeared to be human. Well. Except for the wings. She couldn't see much else about the person because the wings we huge and hide them completely.

_Go away!_

Something forced her mind back and away with such force that it left her mind reeling. "I have to tell Robin." she mumbled to herself.

"Titans!" As though summoned, Robin's voice blared incessantly over the intercom. "The sensors have picked up an unknown being on the island. Let's move!"

Raven sighed inwardly. Irritating or not, he was still their leader.

Her mind went back to the person lying amidst the bushes. She was certain that altercation just a few moments before wasn't an attack. It almost seemed as though it was an automatic reaction of sorts, a reflex. For the brief few seconds their minds connected she felt confusion from the being and pain, lots of pain.

She met her other teammates just outside the Tower. Robin was waiting, body language telling her he was impatient. Cyborg was checking his scanners, brows furrowed as he swung his arm this way and that. Beast Boy had morphed into the form of a blood hound and was sniffing through the grass; his green skin made it almost impossible to pick him out.

"Robin," the sorceress began. "I know what we're looking for-"

"I've got a signal!" Cyborg bellowed excitedly. "Whatever it is, it isn't human. It's just east of here." They all moved as though they were one in the direction the metallic man pointed.

She sighed inwardly again. Not needing Cyborg's direction she moved ahead of the group purposefully. She knew exactly where this being was.

There. The bushes she saw in her mind popped up in her field of vision quickly and a little beyond them she saw an arm splayed awkwardly. Cautiously she approached, spreading the branches a little to peer through them. Tangled and sprawled in the grass was a decidedly feminine body. Covering most of it was a pair of wings that slowly rose and fell; she was still alive.

"Over here. I've found her." She didn't raise her voice. She never raised her voice. Raising her voice was usually a very bad sign. Still, the others were able to hear her over Cyborg's loud rambling and soon a green blood hound came bounding through the grass.

"Whoa." he said, morphing back to his human form.

"Is she still breathing?" Robin asked.

"Yeah." Raven studied the limp form on the ground carefully. Her wings seemed to have a reflective property; she almost had to squint in order to look at her. _Interesting_. "We need to bring her back to the Tower. She needs help."

Robin was silent for a moment. "Can you touch her mind, Raven? We don't know if she's an ally or an enemy and I'd like to know which she is before we bring her in."

Touch her mind? It wasn't something she liked to do with unconscious people. Invading someone's mind was like going into their room, going through all their stuff, reading all their diaries and then selling it on Ebay for a few pennies. _He does have a point_. "All right."

She knelt close to the form on the ground and gently reached out to her with her mind.

Almost immediately she was sucked into the other woman's mind. Normally everyone, even non-telepaths, had some sort of defense against being invaded. This woman had none though the blue caped woman could tell there used to be some sort of defense. It was as though someone had torn it all down, left her vulnerable. All that remained was a raw nerve, painfully acute and sensitive.

All around her swirled confusion and pain. She was disoriented, lost… and very pissed off. "My name is Raven. I'm not here to cause you harm." She said quickly. Very quickly. No sense in giving a pissed off alien time to attack. "My friends and I are trying to help you. You're hurt, we need to bring you to our home so we can."

Before her an image of the other woman formed. Her wings were thrown back, exposing a muscular, slender body. Deep blue eyes stared at her, filled with pain. "I need to be alone." Her red lips didn't move but Raven could still hear her voice. "Their thoughts hurt me. I don't sense any from you." The last had a curious feeling to it.

"I shield my thoughts, even though none of my friends are telepathic. I can shield you from theirs as well, but only for a little while. Will you let us help you?"

The other woman nodded barely. "My name is Raelin and… Thank you." Then, Raven felt herself being pushed gently from Raelin's mind. When she opened her eyes, the others were staring back at her expectantly.

"She'll let us help her." She busied herself with readying a spell for Raelin between words. Black energy gently swathed over the resting alien, lifting her slowly. "She's been through some kind of trauma. Thoughts are very painful for her so I'm shielding your thoughts from her. "I'll let you guys take care of her physical injuries. I'm going to need as much strength as I can get to keep the spell going."

They hurried back to the Tower as quickly as they could. Raven's spell kept the alien from being jostled so she didn't have to worry about agitating her wounds. Although Raven had some healing abilities and could have probably taken care of some of her less serious injuries the current spell required all of her concentration. If the island was suddenly swamped with hundreds of thousands of people (even though it wasn't exactly big enough hold that many people) not even the merest whisper of a thought would break through her barrier.

When they reached the Tower she helped them hook her up to the diagnostic machines but beyond that she did nothing. She stayed in a corner, meditating on maintaining the spell. Blips and bleeps and Cyborg's loud voice rang in her head, floating easily over her thoughts.

Something poked her shoulder.

… And again. "Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen…" _Beast Boy_.

He poked her again. "Raven, yo, you in there?"

"What?" Agitation lined her voice. She hated being interrupted while she was meditating, especially by Beast Boy.

The green changeling hopped back a step. "Uh, she's stable for now. Since you're the one that talked to her, we figured you'd know what to do." He looked down at her hopefully.

Raven found herself cursing her short stature. Though it didn't really bother her most of the time she _really _didn't like being looked down on. "Bring her to my room. I have spells set up that block thoughts from entering so my meditation isn't _interrupted_." She said adding emphasis and giving the green man a pointed look. "That's about all we can do for her."

Once again she lifted the sleeping woman with her magic. Although nothing could pass mentally through the barrier that didn't prevent what the alien was feeling from being sent out. It surprised her how much better she looked and from what she felt she was _feeling _much better too. _Does she heal faster than humans_? _There will be plenty of time for questions later_.

Taking her normal position in the rear she say Beast Boy look over his shoulder several times. "Hey Robin, where's Starfire?"

Their fearless leader's ears started to turn pink. "She's uh… sleeping…"

Cyborg snickered. "Yeah, sure. Y'know, your hair looks a little ruffled."

"And your uniform is wrinkly!" the young changeling chimed in again.

Raven tuned out most of their ribbing but she knew it continued; Robin's ears were the color of cherries by the time they reached the sorceress's room. Cyborg and Beast Boy looked like they would collapse from laughing at any moment. If the fate of the world didn't rest on her controlling her emotions she might have joined in with them.

Raelin floated into her room silently followed closely by Raven. Until Robin stopped her. "Raven, are you sure you want her in there with you?" We still don't know if she's an enemy." He looked ridiculous. Cyborg's and Beast Boy's taunting had made him insecure about his appearance. Where he had been clean and pristine before, now his uniform _and _hair were completely ruffled and his ears were still a bright shade of red as though they had been pinched relentlessly.

The blue caped woman nodded. "I trust her." As soon as the words left her mouth she knew they were true though she couldn't explain why she felt that way. She barely had a few sentences with the woman, after all. "Besides," she added with a small smirk, "Starfire's probably missing you by now."

Her door closed on the other men's uproarious laughter and Robin's ears looking like they were going to burn off his face. Snickering a little despite herself she put the sleeping alien in her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Her wings made her look huge on her tiny bed; Raven hoped it was big enough.

She rummaged around for some extra pillows and arranged them in what she hoped would be a comfortable sleeping position. Eventually, after much tossing and turning, sleep found her.


	3. Chapter 3

It was dark when Raelin finally woke up. The moment Raven had blocked her friends' thoughts from entering her mind she had spent every moment rebuilding her mental world. It was a dreary, painstaking process that had left her drained even worse than she already was. Even though she felt she was at her end, it took a mere few hours of sleep to rejuvenate.

Her wings cramped painfully and she attempted to stretch them only to find that they touched objects a scant few feet away; the room was too small for her to stretch completely.

But where was she, exactly?

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness relatively quickly. Soon, she could pick out candles, lots of them, and books everywhere. A few various crystals, a mirror… It seemed the room was filled with mystical artifacts.

How did she know they were mystical?

A memory tugged naggingly in the back of her mind yet no matter how much she searched she couldn't pull it out completely. How had she gotten here? Where did she come from? Aside from her name she couldn't remember much, a very disturbing problem. How had she lost her memory?

Frustrated, she leaned into the pillows with a sigh. Wait. Pillows? She had looked about her room but had failed to notice the bed she was in. _Wow. Nothing gets by me_. Her blankets were dark, very dark. In fact, she was willing to bet they were black or a navy blue color. The bed itself was very comfortable. Very. Perhaps she should rest a little mo-

"Azarath… Metrion…"

Raelin's heard jumped into her throat. She looked around frantically for the source of the voice and found it amidst some pillows on the floor. The woman seemed familiar, somehow.

"Flying bunnies…"

_That voice_… Yes. Raven. The one that had entered her mind and shielded her, helped her more than she realized. But she couldn't see her face well in the darkness. She squinted, leaning forward on the bed as far as she dared…

Then Raven's eyes opened.

And a very startled Raelin fell off the very comfy bed.

"You're awake." The woman among the jungle of pillows yawned like she hadn't noticed the clumsy oaf falling off the bed. "Are you feeling better? Hungry? I can make you something if you like." She had a curious monotone, devoid of emotion. Still, it was quite pretty.

Raelin straightened herself quickly, shaking her head slightly. "No, thank you." Raven lighted a candle and the room was bathed in the little light it gave off. Indeed, the room was filled with spell books and mystical artifacts… Just _where _did she get that knowledge from? "But… I would very much like to stretch my wings, if it's possible."

The tiny woman nodded a little. "I can bring you outside, if you like. But before you said my friends' thoughts were causing you pain. They're still in the Tower but the only reason why you can't hear their thoughts is because I put on a spell on my room to keep them from entering. Are you going to be able to handle them if we leave?"

Her wings were just itching to stretch. "I'm much better now so their thoughts won't pose too much of a problem. I can handle them."

"All right." Raven stood, her hand stretching out for her cloak that floated mysteriously to her. "You probably won't see them until tomorrow but my friend's names are Cyborg, Beast Boy, Robin and Starfire. Welcome to the Titan Tower."

As Raven opened the door, Raelin got to her feet hurriedly. Dim light flooded into the room, adding a little more detail to what the candlelight only hinted at. She couldn't help but fold her wings protectively around her; even though these people had gone out of their way to help her, their intentions were still not clear.

Still, for some reason she felt she could trust them.

"Where are you from?" Raven asked in her quiet monotone. She was short, very short, shorter than Raelin had realized before. The slight woman's head would be a little past her shoulder if they stood side by side.

"I've been trying to remember since I woke up. It would seem that I've lost my memory. I don't have any knowledge of anything before I came here." She couldn't keep the frustration she was feeling from creeping into her voice.

Raven glanced up at her over her shoulder. "You were very distraught and disoriented when we found you. It's very likely you were in some kind of traumatic accident that caused you to lose your memory. Be patient, I'm sure it will come back." She silent for a moment. "I may even be able to help."

Raelin was shocked out of words for a moment. "That's… That's very kind of you, thank you." After, she followed in a contemplative silence. What could have happened that was so traumatic that it made her lose her memory? Where did this even take place, even?

"Here." The blue caped short woman stopped in front of large double doors, slender fingers reaching out to press a few buttons. Fresh, crisp air wafted through seductively, tickling Raelin's nose. She inhaled deeply, her troubles forgotten for a moment. She loved this time of night.

As they walked out together, Raelin could hear and smell the sea, the gentle lull of it lapping against the rocks. The grass was camp with dew, slightly cold to the touch. Pale moonlight spilled over everything, giving an eerie edge to whatever her eyes landed upon.

Slowly, as though of their own accord, her wings spread open. A relatively strong current came along and swept her up, like a mother lifting her child. _How did I lose my memory_? Her thought nagged her. _Will I ever get it back_? The wind washing past her ears seemed to whisper an answer. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. For now, just fly."

So she did.


	4. Chapter 4

Raven watched Raelin soar overhead curiously. Cyborg had said she wasn't human and she believed him; no human, powers or not, had ever displayed such joyous abandon in flight. It almost made her smile. Almost.

She was an interesting creature, that was certain. Her wounds were rather extensive yet she recovered from them rapidly even without the help of her healing powers. The alien claimed to have no knowledge of how she ended up on their island and from what the sorceress could sense there was no treachery behind her words. Then again, she was a telepath as well which meant she could hide her lies.

"Raven, where's our guest?"

Robin's pitched voice pulled her from her contemplations. It was then that she noticed the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. She had been so engrossed that she didn't even see the sun come up.

Before she could speak, Raelin took a sudden dive towards them. Raven was certain something was wrong for her to make such a dive; her whole body tensed in response. Robin was posing his body to get ready for anything as were the other Titans.

But as she neared the rooftop the alien straightened, spreading her wings wider. Her descent slowed considerably until she landed in front of them light as a feather. Folding her wings about her body she spoke quietly. "Good morning. My name is Raelin. I greatly appreciate you helping me and am terribly sorry to have put you through so much trouble."

Raven felt everyone release the breath they were been holding. "It's no trouble at all, Raelin. My name is Rob-"

"Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire and of course, Raven." She nodded with a small smile to each of them. "She's told me a little about you all already."

So she had. It wasn't much but the woman appeared to have absorbed it like a sponge. "She can't remember how she got to our island, or how she even came to our planet." The sorceress said, anticipating Robin's next question. He was so predictable.

"Flying around the Tower gave me some of my memory back for the past day or so. I have no memory before that, however." Her brow furrowed slightly and Raven felt waves of frustration from her. Well, that was to be expected. She would feel the same way if she were in Raelin's position.

"Where will you go now?" Beast Boy stole the words out of Robin's mouth. Everyone knew he hated people speaking for him so they tried to predict what he'd say just to piss him off. It was so fun!

"I don't know." Raelin answered. It was the first time she had thought of the question, apparently; the furrows on her forehead were even deeper.

"You can stay here as long as you need to!" The words flew out of his mouth at an alarming rate. He looked quite pleased that no one had bean him to it though.

Raelin blinked, probably at his quick words and their meaning. "I wouldn't want to intrude-" she began.

"It's no trouble at all!" Starfire chirped. _She'll have someone she can connect with since she's an alien too_, Raven thought.

"You can take a rest, chill, relax and I can show you how to kick Beast Boy's butt at video games!" Cyborg boomed, teasing Beast Boy as he often did. It resulted in a minor wrestling match between the two of them.

"I can't teach you those meditation techniques we were talking about earlier if you leave." No matter how quiet her voice was her words always seemed to be heard. Even over the green and computerized men's wrestling match, she knew what she said reached everyone's ears.

Raelin stood silent for what seemed like a long while. Raven could feel she didn't really want to stay for fear of getting in the way but at the same time she felt like she had no other choice. "I have no way to repay you… All I have to off is my thanks."

"Your thanks are payment enough," Robin said, once again rushing to get his words in before anyone else. "Does that mean you'll be staying?"

A delicate blush rose in her cheeks. Well, Raven assumed it was the equivalent of a blush. "I will accept your offer, very gratefully."

"Great!" Beast Boy was at her side in an instant, already beginning to chat her ear off. "Did Raven tell you I can morph into any animal I want? Y'know, you and I could have a race sometime, to see who can fly fastest. Your wings look really awesome I bet you could fly really fast HEY wanna tour of the Tower?"

Raelin blinked several times at the green figure nearly hopping up and down with excitement in front of her. "Uhm… Since I'll be staying here… I guess it would be a good idea… Thank you." She sent a helpless glance in Raven's direction, seeking some sort of guidance as to how to deal with Beast Boy.

Raven just shrugged slightly, almost absentmindedly. Garfield would settle down after a little while, although he would still be just as annoying. She and Robin were more interested in taking in her physical appearances, albeit for different reasons.

Brown hair framed a strong face, partially covering small, slightly pointed ears. Her skin was slight brown color like she had spent much time in the sun. Her eyes were the deepest shade of blue she had ever seen; too blue to be human. It was like looking at the sky right before dusk, just before the sun set and night took over the land. Her body was slender and yet muscular, though Raven had search for it through the odd, heavy clothing she was wearing.

What really caught her attention were the huge, leathery bat-like wings. As they had the night before they had a reflective property that was limited to the backs of them. Now she could see beneath them and underneath colors swirled, changed direction, fused with each other to form a new color. It was like a water painting that had gotten wet and the artist was idly swirling the paintbrush through it.

All in all, she looked relatively human. Except for the wings, of course.

"How about we show you the living room first?" Cyborg was saying. "It's where we hang out, chill, kick Beast Boy's butt at video games-"

"HEY!" Beast Boy exclaimed again. Raven sighed as they started another wrestling match.

A sound like purring came from Raelin's throat. Was she laughing? The sorceress sensed amusement coming from the other woman so she assumed that was the case. The others began to crowd around their new visitor, chatting, welcoming her, giving her advice on how to kick Beast Boy's ass. It was easy enough to tune them out; if the alien had any questions for her she would ask her specifically. She followed behind the tiny crowd, a blue shadow.

It was when they were about to pass her room that Raven stopped. "Raelin." The winged woman stopped so suddenly to look at her that Beast Boy nearly collided into her. "This is my room. When you're ready, you can find me here." Without waiting for a reply she slipped past her door and out of sight.


	5. Chapter 5

Raelin watched Raven leave wordlessly. She was an interesting woman, all of these Teen Titans were, really. She was very mysterious. It was a quality she found most… attractive.

"- is kinda weird. Most of the time she's meditating and she gets really cranky if you interrupt her while she's doing that." Beast Boy was talking to her again, apparently about Raven this time. His voice was lowered as though he feared the blue caped woman could hear him through walls. Although, perhaps she could. Though she knew their names she knew nothing more about them. For all she knew, Raven _could_ hear Beast Boy and _would _walk through walls just to throttle him.

Raelin found herself looking expectantly (even a little hopefully as the green man prattled on) but was disappointed when it didn't occur.

_It would be out of her character_, she thought as the small group resumed the tour. True, she hadn't known them long but judging from what she studied today of Raven's behavior… Well, she could safely assume that the woman was not the sort to fly off the handle, as it were.

In fact, at first glance one would assume the woman had no feelings at all. Her body language, speech, tone, eyes, _everything_, was monotone. Calm. Cool. Collected. But that was at first glance and most didn't have the ability to perform a second glance as she could.

She could sense that in fact Raven did have emotions. For whatever reason, as soon as they cropped up they were mowed down, bottled up and forgotten. It felt as though she needed to do this, it was dire that she not feel. Raelin felt the other woman had a great struggle within her and there would be extreme consequences should she lose.

Robin cleared his throat loudly and the alien didn't need her abilities to know he was annoyed at her reverie. "We don't have a room large enough to accommodate your wings yet. In the meantime, we might be able to set something up for you on the upper floors."

Their generosity astounded her. They had no knowledge of her (hell, she had no knowledge of herself!) and still they had opened their home to a total stranger. It was something they seemed to be enjoying, too. From each of them she sensed large amounts of excitement and friendliness. It made her relax instantly, knowing these people truly had no evil intentions towards her. She resolved firmly that she would help them in anyway she could.

"Thank you," she said quietly. For now, all she could do was express her gratitude to them. … It was rather embarrassing. "I can't tell you how thankful I am for this."

Robin waved his hand dismissively but it was Starfire who spoke. "No problem at all! I think we'll be able to modify a room to suit your needs quickly enough. Your ideas are always welcome too." The woman, definitely no more human than Raelin herself, slipped an arm around her shoulders in a friendly gesture. "We'll make you feel right at home here."

"… Thank you." She repeated again while Starfire maneuvered her past Raven's door. If she said it anymore it would start to echo in her head like obnoxious and repetitive noises tended to do.

It was later, much later, when Raelin knocked hesitantly on Raven's door. Beast Boy and the others had gone to painstaking lengths making sure she understood how Raven hated to be disturbed while meditating.

Especially by Beast Boy.

Just when she started to turn away the door opened soundlessly, just enough for an eye to scrutinize her without having to actually walk into the hallway. "Raelin. How was the tour?"

"Very good. The Tower is huge." The alien was glad she didn't stammer; the tiny woman's lack of emotion was jarring compared to the her boisterous teammates. It was like being at a loud party with everyone screaming and laughing and enjoying themselves … and then suddenly being slammed into a library with your adrenaline still pumping.

The door opened a little wider. Apparently the idle chit-chat was over. "Would you like to start trying those meditation techniques I was telling you about earlier?"

"Sure!" the alien replied at once. A pause, then, "Well, only if I haven't interrupted you meditating…" her voice trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

The sorceress turned a little to glance over her shoulder. "I was meditating, actually. I don't mind being interrupted either, as long as the interruption isn't for something… foolish. Are you coming in?"

_Mental note_, Raelin murmured within her mind as she followed the tiny woman in her room. _Never bug Raven with something idiotic_.

Raven's room was lit with several candles, illuminating the books she had only been allowed to see the shapes of the day before. Mystical artifacts and various items caught the flickering candlelight, casting eerie shadows across the walls. At least where the wall wasn't dominated by large, dark, deep bookcases.

Now with the ability to study things more closely, Raelin was able to examine the curious books. She could feel something tickle in the back of her mind as she gazed at them. It nibbled aggravatingly at her while she stared until she found herself cursing at her amnesia vehemently. _Brilliant predicament I've got myself into this time. Can't remember a damn thing, can't even remember what these spellbooks are about…_ She stopped. She stared.

_Spellbooks… I've seen these before I think. _The irritating nibbling lessened a bit. _There's hope yet!_

"Make yourself comfortable." Raven's voice droned through her mini-triumph, making her jump a little. She had forgotten she was in the tiny woman's room. "We may need to do this for quite awhile, depending on how much luck we have."

Taking a deep breath the taller woman sat across from the shorter and attempted to make herself comfortable. It proved to be far more difficult than she anticipated due to her expansive wings. After much shifting and grumbling, she at long last reached the state of comfiness.

"All right," said Raven once Raelin was comfy. "Breathe deeply and try to relax. Clear your thoughts. Cut your emotions off at their source until you become a void."

Relax? How could she relax at a time like this? She was in a strange environment, had no idea where she was or how she got there or even had any idea as to what her past was… Relaxing, part of her screamed, was something she shouldn't be doing right now.

But, another part of her was saying, she was welcome in this new place. They were trying to help her recover her memories which could be done. She had, after all, already remembered a little about spellbooks.

_Silence_. She spoke the word within her mind until all her thoughts ceased and her emotions seemed far away. She floated within herself like this calmly, holding her new found peace easily and waited for Raven's next instructions.

Strangely, Raven's monotone voice seemed to have a hypnotic effect. "We'll start with something you've already remembered. You said earlier that flying around the Tower helped to jog your memory. I want you to think concentrate on your journey to this island and describe it to me."

That was easy enough to do, even if it was still a bit blurry around the edges. She recounted her trip to the island in as much detail as possible, starting from when she jumped from the top of the building in the city.

"Good." Raelin heard the approval in her voice. "Now I want you to remember what you were doing before then. Work backwards from your earliest memory and try not to force it. Relax and let it come to you."

The city. She remembered the city. She remembered the chaos of her mind, how the thoughts of everyone with a few miles radius were invading her head despite her best efforts. Normally, she could fend off their thoughts with little effort. But she was far from normal that night. She reversed that night, trying to get to the point where her mind went haywire. She waited patiently for the memory to come, just as Raven waited patiently for her answer.

It came back to her suddenly in a bright flash of pain. She remembered being tossed around like a rag doll. She remembered someone forcing themselves into her mind and rummaging around, damaging everything they came across. That was why she had been overwhelmed in the city; her defenses had all been torn to shreds.

The memories swirled around her at a dizzying pace. She recalled the attack but nothing of her attacker. When she spoke her voice was shaky. "I was outside Jump City when I was attacked."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the long delay in posting. Alas, I must flip burgers all day to provide food and transportation for myself. Alas, I must also attend school so as to escape from flipping burgers for the rest of my life.**

**In case it hasn't already been mentioned, I own nothing related to the Teen Titans. The character Raelin, however, is mine through and through and I will break the legs of the idiot that tries to steal her.**

**That aside, happy Turkey Day!**

It took all of Raven's self-control to keep from jumping when Raelin's eyes suddenly shot open. She felt panic rise through the other woman so Raven tried to comfort her as best she could. "Calm down. You're safe here." A slow, jerky nod of affirmation from the alien. "You were attacked in the city?" she asked slowly. Raelin's eyes were sweeping over the whole room at an alarming rate, as though she were expecting someone to jump out from behind the bookshelves and attack.

The winged woman took a breath before speaking. … And another. "Telepathically, mostly. I couldn't remember the face of the one who fought with me but I got the feeling it was someone I knew." Her voice became hollow after that. "They broke down my defenses, left me vulnerable and then left me for dead. I came around eventually but was so disoriented that I wandered closer to the city. And the closer I got the more jumbled my mind became due to the lack of defenses…" Her smooth voice trailed off as she brought her eyes to meet Raven's, unable to go on.

"But you obviously managed to get away, that's how you ended up here." The sorceress offered the other woman a rare smile. "You did very well, I'm impressed. I think that's enough for today."

"All right." Raelin seemed to be more than willing to set aside her disturbing memories. Her too blue eyes began the familiar bookshelves, taking in every nook and cranny in Raven's room. An uncomfortable silence fell between them until the alien at last spoke the question that was so obviously burning within her. "Those are spell books, right? You know magic then?"

From within the folds of her cloak, Raven nodded. "I've been trained in them ever since I was able to read. This is my personal collection."

"It's… impressive." Raven could see that the other woman couldn't tear her eyes from the spell books. There was another question that Raelin wanted to ask burning behind her eyes.

"You can take a closer look at them, if you like." _I love anticipating what people are going to say_.

A grateful smile was flashed in her direction, displaying pearly white teeth. "Thank you!" Her hand reached out carefully to the closest one to remove it gingerly from its spot. "It's just that they look so familiar…" The alien's velvety voice became muffled as she lowered her head to read. "Maybe it'll jog my memory."

"I'd be very interested to know what you remember." Her curiosity was genuine. It took immense concentration to learn even the most basic spells. As a result, not many learned the more advanced spells.

An absentminded reply sounded from within the depths of the book. "You'll be the first I tell."

Closing her violet eyes Raven began to meditate on the strange woman sitting before her, reading her spell books. Where would the woman have been exposed to spells? It wasn't as though they were littered all over the world. Ancient old witches would have a collection about the size of hers and Raven was only twenty-two. Fighting for all that was good and right had its benefits; sometimes evildoers had a book or two of spells that were immediately plundered by her. Sometimes, would-be victims would send her gifts (despite her protests); spell books.

And this woman had recognized a good portion of them.

"Raven?"

Purple eyes popped open immediately. Too blue eyes looked at her timidly, the book she had been studying so fervently before now returned to its spot on the shelf. "Yes?"

"Would you mind if… If I meditated with you for a little while?" Her eyes studied the floor as if she were embarrassed for asking such a question.

"Uh… Sure." Embarrassed or not, it still threw the sorceress off a bit. _Someone wants to _meditate? _With _me? "Make yourself comfortable."

That in itself proved to be a feat for the alien. After much shuffling of her wings, grumbling and huffing the woman finally managed to get comfortable. The alien closed her eyes and focused; the other empath could feel calm begin to settle around the winged being like a shroud.

The blue cloaked sorceress wished clam would come to her that easily. The woman's memories, as well as her apparent knowledge of spells, had her burning with questions and thirsty for answers. Answers that not even the alien could answer. Yet. That made it all the more frustrating. She glanced over at Raelin for the hundredth time as though the solutions she sought would magically present themselves.

The clothing she wore was just as mysterious. She was swathed from her shoulders to her ankles in a strange fabric that she wasn't familiar with. Once it might have been a light color but now it there were dark brown spots on it in places, possibly bloodstains. _Cyborg can analyze them_. It might help them unravel the mystery that was Raelin.

Suddenly Raelin snored. Not loud enough to bring the Tower down around her ears but certainly loud enough to catch the pondering witch's attention. _We've been meditating for quite awhile… It's almost morning_. It was a miracle that the alien had managed to stay conscious for as long as she had considering her day.

_And now that _I _know what time it is… _The sorceress' head and eyes began to droop. _Sleep is definitely needed. The Boy Blunder is going to wake us up first thing to do morning routines_.

She debated waking Raelin up but decided there was little point in it. Sleep was sleep no matter where it took place and so far, she grudgingly admitted, Raven enjoyed her company.

After wrapping the sleeping form in an extra blanket, after blowing out all the candles in her room but right before sleep took her a strange thought occurred to her. Their new ally? friend? had fallen asleep easily even though in a strange environment, after stressful circumstances. Surely that must mean she felt some sort of comfort, trust, at being here?

The thought brought a rare genuine smile to her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the HUGE time gap between chapters. This semester has been hellish. I'll have more spare time coming though, so maybe I can get more out.**

**By the way, I don't own Teen Titans, etc. Raelin is, however, all mine. Try to take her and I'll bust your knee caps. : )**

_Blows landed on her leaving bruises in their wake. Her arms ached, throbbed painfully. The rushing of blood in her ears was distracting, just as the taste of it in her mouth was._

"_Give it up." Her voice was cracked and grainy. Hours of battle will do that. "You can't win."_

"_Yes I can." The female voice boomed in her mind. She felt the women prepare for another attack so she took the split second to fortify her mental defenses. It didn't matter, the fight weakened them so much that when her opponent hurled her mind towards her she crashed right through. She could feel claws tearing at her, ripping her mind to shreds…_

Raelin sat bolt upright, sending a blanket on a one way trip into a wall. She sat there panting as she tried to get her racing heart under control. Already the nightmare was beginning to fade from her memory, no matter how hard she tried to cling to it. Though it shook her to her core, she had a feeling it was more than just a dream. Perhaps it had something to do with her memory?

_I'm still in Raven's room_. _… IDIOT._ _How do I manage to be such a pain in the ass! _Thankfully the blue caped woman wasn't in the room to see her cheeks flush scarlet. _I can't believe I fell asleep when I was meditating. I can't believe Raven didn't wake me up and kick me out of her room. I… I can't believe I'm still sitting here feeling like a fool. Get a grip!_

She retrieved the blanket from its crumpled position on the floor opposite her, folded it as neatly as she could and placed it on top of Raven's bed. Feeling some sort of apology was needed and after a good deal of flying, she went off in search of the tiny woman.

But the caped woman was nowhere to be found within the Tower. Nor her menagerie of friends.

_I'll find them later. My wings… So cramped. Time to fly._

Finding the quickest way out of the Tower was no issue; exits were everywhere, clearly stamped with a large neon red sign over each one. Not to mention the large windows she could have crawled through if the need arose.

Stepping outside into the crisp spring air was like… Like a prisoner sentenced to years in solitary walking into a large crowd of people after their release. A huge rush of relief sang through her entire being as she opened her expansive wings and stretched them as far as they could reach. Every slight breeze that wafted through caught in them, struggled and while doing so lifted her a little higher and higher off the ground. After a few great flaps she was far above the Tower, far above the earth and just a few whispers beneath any gods.

After a little time passed of complete flying ecstasy she forced herself to the task that she had yet to do. If the Titans weren't inside then logic dictated they must be outside.

_Outside is a broad term. Where could they be? _Slowly, carefully, she opened her mind to receive their thoughts. To open her mind too quickly after such a brutal assault only days before could be disastrous or worse.

She felt them. Tiny droplets of familiarity amidst a sea of strangers. These tiny droplets, though, seemed to be distracted by something. Curious, she shifted her wings a little to change direction and followed the thoughts to their source.

She heard the sounds of battle before she saw it. Screaming, mechanical whirring, crashing, shouting and animal-like screeching. It was like something out of a cheesy sci-fi movie.

_There_.

In a dusty clearing not too terribly far away from the water's edge the Titans stood in a circle. Surrounding them were five extremely large robots, each with hands the size of Cyborg's head. Judging by the way the Titans watched them, they were just as powerful.

"Titans, GO!" Robin's grating voice barked out orders that his teammates followed silently, each going to their own target.

_I must help them_. They had done so much to help her, it seemed only natural that she return the favor.

Her resolution made, a curious transformation seemed to take place within her. All her thoughts became focused on her enemies, adrenaline coursed through her causing her pulse to race and yet her breathing slowed, deepened. Her long fingers flexed, clenched repeatedly as she circled close overhead the fight raging below her. Every fiber of her being was ready to join them, her very soul ready for battle.

_Watch_. _Study your enemies_ _and_ _your chances of survival will increase dramatically_.

The alien heeded the words of her inner voice, floating carefully above these huge robots. The Titans attacked, the robots defended and retaliated… She watched the battle below her for what seemed like an eternity, watching not only the robots but her allies as well. Raven had explained their powers briefly; it was an entirely different thing to see that in action.

Her eyes were drawn to the leader of the Titans, now trying to dent his opponent by repeatedly bashing it with his metal pole he called a weapon. It did nothing to the robot but cause it to take more swings at him which he narrowly dodged. "His only power," Raven had told him with sarcasm thick in her voice, "is the ability to beat his enemies without getting injured."

Folding her wings slightly she began her descent toward her enemies. So far none had given her any clues as to what their weakness was but they were slow. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.

She fell quickly, silently towards the robot Robin fought against fruitlessly. It never saw her coming.

And then she smashed into its back.

She bounced off, feeling like a bird that ran head first into a window. The collision had made a sizable dent in the paneling that was its back but little else. She hadn't even managed to make it lose its balance, unlike her. The collision sent her sprawling backwards, splaying her legs and arms into the dirt until she came to a stop some scant feet behind it.

She stood quickly, sand crunching loudly beneath her feet. A few flaps of her wings sent her spiraling back up into the air, sending sand up after her. She looked down, hoping that Robin would have been intelligent enough to take the opportunity to retreat long enough to regroup with his teammates. No such luck; he was standing looking upward stupidly as the robot, still confused as to who had attacked it, tried to decide which opponent to attack first.

She circled above it, gaining speed while it was confused. When she was ready she made another dive, aiming for the large dent she made with her first attack. It wasn't much but so far it was the only weakness that she could see at the moment. Perhaps she could wrench the protective covering off, tear out some wiring, render it useless.

She was quick but it surprised her with a spurt of speed all its own. It side stepped and turned in one fluid movement she sailed just past it. She was caught off guard and it took full advantage, landing its heavy mallet of a hand in the middle of her back. She landed face first into the coarse sand, rolling a few times until she came to a complete stop.

Her body ached and screamed with pain where she was hit. The hard granules ground beneath her as she moved slowly and painfully to her feet again. All around her there was grunting and shouting; she thought she heard her name a few times but she blocked it out. Her focus now was on her opponent, her enemy.

The thing seemed to be entirely focused on her now, even with the Titan's fearless leader attempting to beat it into pulp. Its eyes, if you could call them that, glowed for an instant and a large red bolt of light sped toward her.

The strange light hit her squarely in the chest, sending her backwards a few feet. Staggering a little, she somehow managed to keep her balance and matched eyes with her opponent. Pain stung from the area of her chest, small tendrils of smoke curled in front of her vision but like everything else she ignored it.

She snapped her wings back, the feel of wind beneath them reassuring. As she did, the robot's eyes flashed red again and before the painful light hit her she flapped her wings, soaring her into the air while the bolt hit the ground where she had been. The combination of her wings and the projectile energy made the loose dust rise up in a small storm.

She circled above the chaos again, chest stinging painfully and back throbbing. _Focus_, a masculine voice seemed to tell her from her past. _Focus on your enemy. Strategize. _Pain nibbled naggingly at her self-control and like just about everything else that didn't have to do with her opponent, she ignored it.

Robotic eyes swiveled this way and that in their search for her. For whatever reason, it seemed that it couldn't find her. _Maybe the dust is interfering with its sensors. Or… Maybe it doesn't have enough sense to look up_. Recognizing her chance she attacked with the only tried and true method she had; throwing herself into its back.

Both she and the giant android fell to the ground. Vision swimming, she pounded her fists into its back. The dent became larger and soon she saw wires. Slipping her fingers underneath small cracks in its armor she pulled and yanked the panel off. She reached in, grabbed the delicate circuitry and smashed it for all she was worth.

It had tried to throw her off. Soon, it stopped moving underneath her.

Something within her roared her triumph. She felt the left side of her lips twitch upward. As she stood from her crouching position she murmured, "One down… Who's next?"


End file.
